The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-06-09
NATURAL GAS IN INDIANA.
Congressman Elect Cheodle Tells About
Its Developmen;-SomeT Theories.
iSO,,;ol Co,.,asN,u.o,,,1


Its Development-SOmeT Theories.
special Correspondence
New York, May 3J.-Hon. Joseph B.
Cheodle, congressman elect from the Ninth
district of Indiana, spent a day or two in this
city on his way to Washington recently, and
in half hours conversation received from
him many curious facts about the natural gas
excitement in that state. While a few for
tunate places are rejoicing over their good
luck and scores of towns are boring, the
learned are specializing about the origin and
nature of the stuff the theories varying all
the way from swamp gas to fire damp.
'The most southern points at which gas has
been developed said Mr.. Cheodle, "are at
Greensburg and place five miles north Of
Indianapolis but the stuff seems to outdo the
interstate commerce bill in the attempt to
give villages show. They cannot find it at
all in the large cities, while some small and
obscure places have plenty of it, You may
say that the belt extends through the. north
center of the state TO the Ohio line, being, in
fact, continuous with the Ohio gas belt The
best developments are at Kokomo and No
blesville, but tho same conditions no doubt
continue westward to the Wabash"
"And does it depend on the vicinity of coal
or carbonferous rocks"
ooh, no; quite the contrary. 1t Is away
back of the coal period; it is in the Trenton
formation that they expect to find gas. The
best wells, believe, are at Noblesville, Mum
Gle and Kokomo, but as gas is found in sew.
eral other places there is no reason to doubt
that much better wells will be developed
"And the people are enthusiastic about it,
l supposep
ooh, wonderfully So 1t is the sensation Of
the day. 1t must be very poor town that
isn't boring or raising the money to bore. In
fact. gas is so popular that it Is credited with
producing all the odd movements under
| ground that we couldn't account for hereto
fore. The flow Of water from the artesian
wells is supposed to be from gas pressure. At
Clinton in my native county, they bored
| about 300 feet and struck salt water and gas
both, and the pressure was at one time great
enough to force the tools up out of the hole
The gas bubbles up through the water and
the bubbles can be set on fire. The local re-
ports give us these facts: At La Fontaine,
Wabash county, the bore went down 800 feet
and when bxt six feet into the Trenton rock
tapped splendid reservoir Of gas They de-
termined to go deeper, but the drill was for
some time forced back by the gas. 1t was
withdrawn; there was a sort of explosion,
and water and loose rock flew a hundred feet
into the air. They confidently announce that
they have the best well in the state. Bloom
ington sank drill 2,730 feet and found moth
ing but salt water, but boasts Of having gone
deeper than any other town in the
state. At Charlottesville Trenton rock was
struck at depth Of / ,487 feet, when the drill
was Immediately lost-dropped into cavity,
perhaps. At any rate it could not be recov-
cred. The popular confidence was so great
that tho city had granted the exclusive right
to lay pipes on the streets and supply families
with natural gas Other towns have granted
the franchise to bore and pipe, but in most
places the work is done by organizations Of
citizens. The local scientists are already in a
wordy war over the subject, as each town
has no use for professor who does not think
his town is in the belt. Professor Orion, state
geologist of Ohio, declares that 90 per cent.
of natural gas is merely swamp gas, but as
that would involve the awkward conclusion
that the supply is very limited-o swamps
near, no gas-his views are attacked with
some vehemence."
Mr.. Cheodle does not venture on a scien
tifc opinion, and only gives the factE
known. He is distinguished as one Of the
very few country editors Of Indiana who has
received political honors. A native Of Yer
million county, Indiana, he made an hon
orable war record in the Eighteenth Indiana
volunteers, and served a long term as country
editor before having chance to serve in
congress. l may say, therefore, that he Il
authority on the subject Of natural gas.
j. II. PARKE.